Strand treating reel



S. EGE ETAL STRAND TREATING REEL Filed Dec.

May 4, 1965 my m M N kw N 1 wv m m SM Y yaw Mm 4am United States Patent 3,181,251 STRAND TREATING REEL Sigmund Ege, Hastings on Hudson, and Martin David S'chnur, New York, N.Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 157,922 2 Claims. (Cl. 34-153) Our invention relates to strand reels and particularly to reels for storing strands during the processing thereof.

In the processing of continuous strands such as the vulcanization or curing of the jackets on electric cables it has been known to wind the strands on reels and to place the reels within a chamber such as a vulcanizing chamber Where they are brought into contact with a processing fluid such as steam or hot air. There has always been a problem, however, in that, although the outer layers of strand on the reel are adequately contacted by the processing fluid, this may not be true of the inner layers, and where. the sensitive heat of the fluid is an important element of the process the transfer of this heat to the inner layers on the reel may be slow, particularly Where the mass of the reel must also be brought up to temperature. In the case of strands that give off reaction products in the course of the process there is the additional problem of removing the reaction products from the innermost strands where they have an adverse effect on the equilibrium of the reaction. This is particularly true in the post curing of silicone-rubber-jacket ed cables where the need for adequate ventilation has sometimes prevented the use of reels for curing although this is the most convenient method for the storing and handling of cables.

We have invented a reel for holding a plurality of layers of strand during processing which permits access to the innermost layers of the strands and completely overcomes the problems known to prior art. Our reel comprises a strand-supporting drum having uniformly distributed perforations over the entire surface, and a pair of flanges normal to the drum with areas extending radi ally outwardly of the drum. The flanges have strandconflning areas that are substantially imperforate and the reels comprise an internal tubular member joining the flanges and forming substantially vapor-tight seals therewith so that the drum, flanges, and tubular mem ber comprise a chamber, or the flanges may be scaled up by other means to form a chamber but in any case the chamber is substantially sealed except for the perforation in the drum. Our reel also comprises means such as a bushing in one of the flanges for introducing pressurized gas into the chamber which is thus forced through the strand. The drum of our reel is advantageously comprised of expanded metal.

A more thorough understanding of our invention may be obtained by reference to the appended drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a reel made to our invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the reel of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of our invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the reel indicated generally by the numeral lid is comprised of a drum 11 of expanded metal extending between the flanges l2 and 13.

ice

The drum 1]. has a plurality of uniformly spaced openings 14. The irregular surface of the expanded metal extends inwardly so that the drum presents a smooth outer surface and, in practice, an asbestos cloth 15 is wrapped over the drum to further protect a jacketed cable 15 supported thereon. Two cylindrical rods 17, 18 are tack-welded to the drum at the flanges 12, 13 to further protect the strands from any sharp edges of expanded metal. Although we prefer to make our drum ll of expanded metal we do not wish to be limited thereto and it will be understood that other types of drum may be used with the provision that they have uniformly spaced perforations. A plurality of spreader rods 19 are Welded to the flanges 12, 13 directly inside of the drum Ill. The flange 12 has a central arbor hole 21 and the flange 13 has a matching hole 22 and the two holes are connected by a tubular member in the form of a pipe 23.

The pipe 23 is sealed to the flange 12 by a weld 24 and it is similarly sealed to the flange 13 by a weld, not shown. In this manner the flanges 12, 13, pipe 23, and drum 11 comprise an annular chamber 26. The flanges l2 and 13 are free from perforations and so is the pipe 23 and the welds such as the weld 24 seal the pipe 23 to the flanges. Consequently any gas introduced into the chamber as is forced out through perforations 14 in the drum 11 and thus through the strands 16. In order to introduce gas into the drum the flange 12 is fitted with a housing 23 sealed to the drum by means of a weld 29. When silicone-rubber cables are wound on the reel it) hot air is introduced into the chamber 26 through the bushing 28 by means of a suitable hose and ni ple, not shown. When rubber cables are wound on the drum steam is introduced through the bushing 28 and our reel may be used for processing other strands by introducing appropriate fluids through the bushing 23 within the scope of our invention. The strands 16 wound on the reel it) are seen to form an outer layer 27 and an inner layer 31. When the strands give off reaction products these are carried outwardly from the inner layer 31 through the outer layer 27 and dissipated due to the outward flow of air from the chamber 25 so that the process is not retarded.

In FIGURE 3 we have shown a reel 32 where the pipe 23 has been omitted. In this case an arbor hole 33 in a flange 34 and an arbor hole 36 in a flange 37 are sealed respectively by the plugs 38, 39 during the processing operation, the plug 38 being hollow and constituting a bushing for the entrance of pressurized gas. Here the flanges 34, 37 are imperforate except for the arbor holes so that gas entering through the hollow plug 38 is forced through perforations 41 in a drum 42.

We have invented a new and useful apparatus for which we desire an award of Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. A cable reel comprising:

(A) a strand-supporting cylindrical metal drum having substantially uniformly distributed perforations over the surface thereof,

(B) a pair of flanges normal to said drum, said flanges having strand-confining areas extending radially outwardly of said drum, said areas being substantially imperforate,

(C) a centrally disposed imperforate tubular member fixedly joined to said flanges and forming substan- 3 tially vapor-tight seals therewith, said drum, said flanges, and said member comprising a chamber, and (D) tubular bushing means in one of said flanges communicating with said chamber for introducing heated pressurized gas into said chamber, said bushing means being disposed between said tubular member and said drum, (E) said chamber being substantially sealed except for said perforations and said bushing means, whereby said gas is forced through said strand.

2. The reel of claim 1 wherein said drum is comprised of expanded metal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Malby 242-118.8 Reutter 242 118.1

Morton 8--155.1

Soffner 34-153 Reno 68198 Stienen 68198 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES OCONNELL, NORMAN YUDOFF,

Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate of Correction May 4, 1965 Patent No. 3,181,251

correction and that the said Letters Pa Sigmund Ege et a1.

etent requiring It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered 8 tent should read as eorreete below,

In the Letters Patent (only), strike out the sheet of drawing referring to Patent No.

3,182,251, and insert the following sheet of drawing May 4, 1965 S. EGEZ ETAL 3,181,251

STRAND TREATING REEL Filed Dec. B, 1961 INVENTORY SIGMUND EGE and M. DAVID SCHNUR BY w. M

column 1, line 28, after they insertmay; column 2, line 29, for housing read bushing-.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of October 1965.

[SEAL] Attest ERNEST W. SWIDER, Attesting Oflicer.

EDWARD J. BRENNER, OOmmissioner of Patents. 

1. A CABLE REEL COMPRISING: (A) A STRAND-SUPPORTING CYLINDRICAL METAL DRUM HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED PERFORATIONS OVER THE SURFACE THEREOF, (B) A PAIR OF FLANGES NORMAL TO SAID DRUM, SAID FLANGES HAVING STRAND-CONFINING AREAS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID DRUM, SAID AREAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERFORATE, (C) A CENTRALLY DISPOSED IMPERFORATE TUBULAR MEMBER FIXEDLY JOINED TO SAID FLANGES AND FORMING SUBSTANTIALL VAPOR-TIGHT SEALS THEREWITH, SID DRUM, SAID FLANGES, AND SAID MEMBER COMPRISING A CHAMBER, AND (D) TUBULAR BUSHING MEANS IN ONE OF SAID FLANGES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR INTRODUCING HEATED PRESSURIZED GAS INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID BUSHING MEANS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND SAID DRUM, (E) SAID CHAMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SEALED EXCEPT FOR SAID PERFORATIONS AND SAID BUSHING MEANS, WHEREBY SAID GAS IS FORCED THROUGH SAID STRAND. 